


Vacation and SummerFest

by MorgothII



Series: Tales of an American Magus [2]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bonding, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Humor, Post-Time Temple, Some language because of Jeanne Alter and Mordred, Summerfest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorgothII/pseuds/MorgothII
Summary: During the long investigation after fixing Humanity's past and ensuring the future, Jacob finds himself being sent to Hawaii with Mash, a much-beloved tsundere saint, and a few other Servants to investigate an unusual occurrence. Little did they know they would be entering the Twilight Zone of the Fate universe!
Relationships: Original Male Character & Jeanne d'Arc Alter | Avenger, Original Male Character/Mordred | Saber of Red
Series: Tales of an American Magus [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917064
Comments: 27
Kudos: 17





	1. Vacation!

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a short(ish) series covering the wonderful events of SummerFest! Ritsuka won't be making a show however, as discussed both in story and below. Jeanne d'Arc Alter has her Third/Fourth Ascension look but is wearing something similar to her Shinjuku outfit. Enjoy!

The day started much like any other since we had defeated the Mage King. I woke up, feeling rather well-rested, though missing the comforting warmth of the body of my first Servant and my girlfriend. I got up out of my bed and shuffled over to my built-in bathroom, feeling as much the zombie that I probably looked like. After relieving my bladder, I turned on the water to take a nice warm shower, feeling fully awake once I had finished washing off and enjoying the warm water against my bare skin.

After drying off and getting dressed, I made my way to the cafeteria to have breakfast. It took me a few minutes before I felt a sense of unease. Not from danger for once, thank god. No, rather that something was missing….

Even though that Chaldea had little to do until the inquest was concluded, one could still see both staff and Servants wandering the hallways or relaxing in the cafeteria. So far, I had encountered none. Unusual, but not necessarily suspicious.

I had no idea what kind of bizarre, Twilight Zone-like week I was about to have.

When I finally entered the cafeteria, the only person visible was a concerned-looking Mash. “Something wrong?” I asked, causing the former Demi-Servant to look at me.

She was one of my three closest friends, the other two being Mordred and my fellow Master Ritsuka Fujimaru. If memory served me right, the latter had been given permission to return to Japan for a week to catch up with his family, seeing as how it had been a year since we last saw the world beyond the perimeters of Chaldea. I had already gotten my chance earlier.

As much as Ritsuka wanted to take his girlfriend along with him, the Mage’s Association had ruled that unless it was on official Chaldean business, Ritsuka, Mash, and I were to stay here unless given permission to do otherwise. It sucked, but at least we had each other and the other Servants that had been summoned.

Ah, good morning Jacob Senpai,” She greeted with a soft smile despite her concern, a gesture I returned. “We’ve seen more and more Servants disappearing from Chaldea over the past few days. I can tell from our tracking systems that they haven’t returned to the Throne of Heroes, but it is still unsettling,” Mash explained.

I frowned at that. Now that she mentioned it, a lot of Servants had been AWOL the past week. The other day I had been discussing it with Mordred over dinner when she had mentioned that Jekyll was going on a vacation, and that she was going to be checking in on him the next few days, hence her absence this morning.

“First, let me get some eggs and a slice of toast or two. After that, let’s find Da Vinci and ask her about this,” I suggested. Mash gave me a somewhat relieved smile.

“I think so too. I know that she has been busy with some sort of project lately, but she definitely needs to hear about this. I hope you don’t mind if I join you for breakfast?” Her mannerisms had me shaking my head in good-natured despair as I wrapped an arm around my friend.

“Oh, Mash, Mash, Mash…. I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. You need to practice being a bit more confidant outside of deployments. Especially now that you are fully human,” I said with a smile, causing her cheeks to flush at my teasing.

“Jacob Senpai,” she whined a bit adorably at my teasing as we walked over and grabbed our food.

* * *

“Oh, hey you two. Excellent timing, you are just the ones I needed to talk to,” Da Vinci greeted us as we walked into the command room, glancing up from one of the central computer monitors. Now that humanity’s future for the next hundred years had been guaranteed once more, only a skeleton crew operated the computer banks, mainly to track any possible disruptions or minor singularities.

“Where have all the Servants gone?” I asked, desiring to have our questions answered first before we inevitable got sidetracked by the Caster sending us off somewhere. On the bright side, only the newest acting director of Chaldea would have to fill out paperwork if it required a Rayshift into the past, as both the UN and the Mage’s Association had required once things had settled down somewhat upon our return. However, the Mona Lisa-lookalike wasn’t the one who delivered a reply to my question.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What am I, chop liver?” Ah, so Alter was still here. I turned around to see the Avenger glaring at me reproachfully, her arms crossed over her chest. As much as she would try to rip off my head, by this point she looked very much like Jeanne now that Alter had grown her hair out. That had made the surprise costume party quite entertaining. It certainly hadn’t helped Alter’s efforts to reject the idea of the Ruler’s viewpoint of the Avenger as her little sister.

Standing next to her, and wearing an outfit far more revealing than Nero’s, was Ushiwakamaru, or Ushi, as I sometimes referred to her as. For some reason Ritsuka preferred to use the whole part of the Rider’s name, but hey, he did summon her, and she hadn’t complained about either of our actions.

“Alter, Ushiwakamaru,” Mash greeted the two. Alter merely grunted a greeting, while Ushi smiled and gave a slight bow. The Rider was closer to Ritsuka and Mash than to me, having met the two in Babylonia before she was summoned to Chaldea, but she had never once been disrespectful towards me. “I see that you two are still here, then.” Ah, Mash, never stop stating the obvious.

“I’ve been hanging around in Spirit Form, collecting books and-“ I noticed and struggled to hide the slight smile as Alter’s eyes widened briefly as she admitted her new-found love of reading now that she had learned how to read and write, just as Jeanne had. “I mean, just ‘cause I felt like it,” Alter said instead of revealing whatever it was she had been collecting books for. “I was just walking around the hallways seeing if anyone had dropped any more when I heard you lot talking and came to see what was up.”

“And I was busy getting things ready for Master?” I cock my head at Ushi, confused.

“Is Ritsuka coming home early or something?” I asked, and the Rider looked rather reproachfully at the cheerful Caster.

“Oh? Did Lady Da Vinci not tell you?”

“Not yet. I was just getting to that. You see, it’s about time we started Chaldea’s summer vacation.”

I feel a specific vein throbbing near my right temple. The one that only does this when I sense some shenanigans about to happen. “You want to have a summer vacation? In Antarctica, the frozen continent? While in the middle of an investigation that has seen a travel limit slapped onto Ritsuka and I?” I asked rather dryly, staring at Da Vinci. To her credit, she neither flinched nor looked bashful.

“Well, technically it has already started because nothing is happening, and it is June,” the Servant-Director responded easily. “The investigators are still dragging their feet, so I’d say that with the way things are going, we’ll be dealing with them for the rest of the year.”

“Marvelous,” I groaned, hearing Alter cackle softly in amusement at my despair. Well, better she does that then to suggest, jokingly or not, to burn them all.

“We can’t do much about that happening, so let’s just not worry so much about it and just enjoy our summer.” I arched an eyebrow, starting to put some dots together.

“Is that why so many of the Servants are gone?” I asked.

“Pretty much,” Da Vinci said with a shrug. “They said if the staff was getting a summer vacation, the Heroic Spirits deserved one too.”

“I wasn’t aware that our Servants have unionized,” I said. Unfortunately, no one really laughed at the joke, finding it unamusing. Their loss of humor, not mine.

“You can blame Blackbeard for that,” Da Vinci resumed speaking glaring at me for interrupting her ‘brilliant’ speech. “He went from asking, to begging, to kowtowing before me while groveling tearfully until I gave in to his request to have one. When the others found out, they all suddenly started to demand ones of their own, complete with a bonus.” And the joke about them unionizing becomes more realistic.

“Hence the absence?” Mash asked.

“Bingo. They’re all out and about, living it up. But hey, Holmes and I are still here, and we can always bring the rest back by force if we have to,” Da Vinci said casually, like the risk of angering dozens of powerful entities was no more a big deal than a scratch DVD.

“As much as I would love the idea of spending a week laying down in my bed resting and reading…” I started to say before I heard movement behind me.

“Loser,” Alter ‘coughed’, and I stared unamused at the Avenger. As much as I am glad that she had joined Chaldea and made peace with her existence, she was still a prickly tsundere, as Ritsuka once described her as being.

“…I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming. Especially since I’m supposed to say in Chaldea unless it’s to deal with singularity-type issues,” I finished, crossing my arms across my chest as I stared at Da Vinci, who finally gave a sheepish smile.

“I was originally going to give you guys the week off, and not have to help fill out any reports requested by the investigators, but things have changed,” Da Vinci.

“Hm?” Alter hummed in interest, standing next to me now. I motioned for Da Vinci to continue, curious.

“While we haven’t detected any singularities, thankfully, we did pick up something unusual: A Foreigner,” she said, pausing for dramatic effect…which I promptly ruined by opening my mouth.

“Do you mean foreigner as in the traveler term, or is this another new Servant class?” I asked, assuming it was the latter. However, when it comes to magecraft and its relatives, one could never be too sure. Mash nudged me, and I looked at her.

“A Foreigner is a new class of Servant that are beings from outside the world and are therefore very rare and unlikely to manifest themselves,” she explained quickly before looking at Da Vinci. “Where is this Foreigner signature coming from? If we’re talking about an alien, they seem to favor ending up in the US, right?”

“Hey!” I said indignantly. Why is it that every time people talk about aliens visiting, that their final destination is America, and more specifically, New York? Mash shot me an apologetic look while Da Vinci looked rather smug for some reason.

“Well, technically, Mash, you are correct. Hold on to your hats, because the signal is coming from….” She paused again, trying to create a dramatic reveal. Honestly, she should have said to hold onto something else, considering that I was the only one wearing a hat. “HAWAII!”

“Convenient, I suppose,” I muttered. If we’re going somewhere, it is a nice thing that it won’t be in the cold. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alter’s jaw drop in awe.

“Well,” Da Vinci huffed, displeased that everyone else had given the reveal very little in the form of reactions. “At least _someone_ was blown away by this. That’s right, the Hawaiian Islands. Jacob probably already knows this, but it is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the entire world.”

“Is that true?” Alter asked a bit hungrily, staring intently at the Caster without any of her normal snark or attitude. “You’re sure that there’s a Foreigner in Hawaii?”

“Sheba’s Lens doesn’t lie. Sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, but I’d like you all to head to Hawaii and take care of this,” Da Vinci said. I shrugged casually before answering.

“Eh, I don’t see why not. If we won’t get in trouble for this, then let’s see what’s up. When do we start the Rayshift?” To my surprise, Da Vinci shook her head at the mention of our normal method of transportation. However, Mash was the one to verbally answer the question.

“Da Vinci, you said Sheba only picked up a Foreigner, and not a singularity, correct? That would mean we can’t Rayshift there, since doing so would violate regulations.” Well,

“So…how are we going to get there?” I asked, a bit nervous. The looks Mash and Da Vinci were suddenly sending to one another did remarkably little to calm me down.

“Why, directly of course!” The Caster said in her typical cheerful manner. “While we may not know who this Foreigner is, we have covered all of our bases rather thoroughly!” Before I could ask as to what she meant by that, the door opened, and Robin Hood strolled into the room.

“Hey, you guys done in here?” The Archer asked lazily. Mash turned to the Servant and bowed her head in greeting.

“Oh, Robin. I didn’t know you were here too.”

“Sure am. Lucky me. Figures me deciding not to visit the old homestead would backfire,” he sighed, shrugging.

“Shuten!” Robin was shoved out of the way as Ibaraki-Douji stormed into the room with a scowl on her features. “I don’t see Shuten anywhere! Where is Shuten!?” The oni demanded, glaring up at me with her hands on her hips.

“Oh, for the love of...” I sighed, resting my forehead in the palm of my right hand. “How would I know?” The Berserker’s scowl deepened as she scoffed at me.

“Ugh, you’re useless!” She seethed. “Fine then, I’ll just trash the place until I feel better!” Oh, no. No, no, no, no! We’re not doing this again. Thankfully, Da Vinci was to the rescue.

“Well, knowing Shuten-Douji, maybe she just heard about this Foreigner thing before we did, and she’s already headed to Hawaii to fight them. She does like to torment newcomers, you know. I don’t think she’d just let someone waltz in here without making them really work for it.” Her words seem to placate the Servant somewhat, as instead of starting _another_ destructive rampage, the oni merely crossed her arms and huffed, still looking cross. Good work, Da Vinci.

“True,” Ibaraki admitted. “Shuten _is_ merciless with her hazing, and she’s never cared much about other people’s boundaries.” The acting director nodded with a smile.

“You can say that again. So, on that note, Ibaraki-Douji, I’d love for you to come along to Hawaii.”

…wait what?!? No, don’t do this to me Director! I tuned out the Berserker’s response as my conscious wept at the thought of being stuck in a boat or airplane for however many hours with the rather frightening Ibaraki. I snap out of it though when Mash prods me, and I notice that the source of my angst had just rushed back out into the hallway as Robin turned to look at our boss.

“So, Da Vinci, just to be clear. We’re only taking Jacob, Mash, and the rest of us here right now, correct?”

“Yep, you guys should be able to take care of it,” she said confidently, a feeling I shared. Considering dealing with all those BS Demon Pillars, this shouldn’t be too bad. “Now, there’s just the little matter of transportations.”

“Ah, so we’re finally addressing that elephant,” I remarked lightheartedly. “Plane, ship, or magecraft?”

“Plane, though we can’t exactly have you all taking off from here. You will first go to South Africa and board a plane there that will take you to Hawaii. We already have tickets for you and Mash.” ‘ _Please don’t be commercial, please don’t be commercial_ ,’ I mentally prayed. “You’ll have to fly commercial.”

…. Damn it.

“Fly commercially?” Mash asked, having never flown on a public plane. Oh, you sweet summer child. She had no idea the hell we were going to experience. I sigh, resigned to my fate.

“What about the others?”

“They’ll use their spirit forms, and-“ Alter interrupted at that moment.

“No,” the Avenger said firmly. Da Vinci blinked in surprise at her.

“…I’m sorry?” She asked cautiously.

“No. I’m not using my Spirit Form. We’re taking an airplane, right? Then we’re riding as passengers. All of us.” Well, this was unexpected. However….

“That could work,” I mused, drawing an incredulous stare from Da Vinci. “Alter and the others can wear their outfits they use already around Chaldea instead of their armor, and leave their weapons in their spiritual forms.” Alter nodded eagerly, pleased that I was being rather receptive to her demand.

“But what about passports?!?” Da Vinci stammered, displeased with the way that this was turning out. Alter scoffed at that.

“We’ll figure something out! It’s a freaking jumbo jet made with all that fancy modern technology crap, right?” The Jeanne’s ‘little sister’ waited for Da Vinci’s reluctant nod of confirmation before continuing. “And you think I’m gonna miss out on that by coming in Spirit Form? Are you an idiot?”

It was at that moment that Ibaraki returned with a small suitcase. “Miss out? I’m not missing out on ANYTHING fun!!” She shouted. Da Vinci paled and looked rather pleadingly towards Ushi. The Rider merely shrugged.

“I will go along with whatever Master Jacob wishes,” she said, though a thoughtful expression soon. “Although, if I am being honest, I too would be curious to experience an airplane for myself,” she added a bit longingly.

Seeing the writing of the wall, the Caster took a deep breath before speaking. “I guess I can make some passports for Robin and the others,” Da Vinci finally said with a sigh, shaking her head. Alter adopted her typical smug smirk, her demand now satisfied.

“Heh. Now that is more like it! It seems that you’re a lot less of a pain than I expected, artist woman.” Those last two words were met with a glare at the Avenger. The others started to chat eagerly about various ideas and plans before Da Vinci coughed loudly. The Servants fell silent as she glared sternly at them.

“I trust this goes without saying, but just in case, once you’re on the plane, there’s to be _NO_ use of weapons, and _NO_ trouble whatsoever! If there is, I’ll immediately hypnotize everyone on the plane, force you into your spirit forms, and make it impossible to turn back until you reach Hawaii. Is that clear?” No one dared to speak. “I SAID, IS THAT CLEAR?!?” I gulped at the sudden intensity Da Vinci was projecting.

“Crystal!” Jeanne, Ushi, Robin, and even Ibaraki all shouted in response as one, looking pale and afraid. Da Vinci nodded, pleased, and the intimidating aura disappeared.

“Good. You Servants are nothing if not a handful!” She said with a long-suffering sigh.

“I know how you feel all too well,” Mash and I said under our breathes simultaneously, causing us to smile in amusement at one another.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Da Vinci admitted with a warm smile. “The important thing is that you’re all raring to go. Even better, there’s even a Chaldea branch in Hawaii! So, technically, you wouldn’t be leaving Chaldea. That means that once you’ve defeated the Foreigner, you’ll be free to make the most of your paid vacation.”

“Well, let’s get packing,” I said, excited to finally get a break from Chaldea, for work or for a vacation. I can’t wait to tell Mordred about this when we both are back in Chaldea!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finally started this more light-hearted story based on my favorite event I've had so far while playing Fate/Grand Order. It is Jacob from The Will to Fight, but I will try to minimize potential spoilers aside from the major events that most viewers who've played the game or seen the series probably already know. However, the main focus is friendship bonding between Jacob and Alter, and not in a romantic way since Jacob is dating Mordred at this point. Ritsuka is absent because of reasons, and also I didn't feel the need to include him on this story, as I feel that Ritsuka and Jacob can be the main Master in their own stories that will be tied to the Will to Fight. Not much else to say, other than what do you guys think so far, and did you enjoy my variation of the intro? Next chapter we will get to see my take on the plane ride over to Hawaii! :)
> 
> Question of the Day: Who was your favorite main Servant in the SummerFest Event story?


	2. Let's Go Catch a Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travelling to Hawaii....what could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wrote this, sorry if it doesn't feel as funny as it could be, but I hope you enjoy!

Regret.

There was so much regret in my body right now.

For some reason, I had thought that after getting through security with four Servants and a young lady who had never been in an international airport before without incident would translate into a relatively uneventful flight.

How I was so sorely mistaken.

The waiting for the flight attendants to declare that our flight was boarding our plane had been rather peaceful. Aside from Ibaraki, of course, but she was Robin’s problem, especially after what Da Vinci had done.

The Caster had apparently been slightly petty when she was making the false identifications to allow for everyone else to board the plane. Robin Hood’s cover story, for a lack of better terms, was that he was taking his adolescent daughter on a trip across the world, visiting the top vacation destinations. As Ibaraki was both the smallest and most childish in temperament, (and probably for trashing the gym last month) the Berserker was said daughter. Ushi was visiting from Japan to visit some distant family members on Oahu, while Mash and Alter were my ‘sisters’ taking me on a summer vacation to celebrate my first year of college.

Honestly, I pitied poor Robin.

When we had finished boarding, I quickly buckled myself into my seat as the flight attendants gave the standard safety demonstrations that people really only paid partial attention to at best. Well, everyone but Mash. Once all the final checks and calls had been made, the plane was taxied towards the runway. I gripped the armrests as I felt the plane lurch backwards as the engines went to full power and the plan be

“Thanks for hanging in there, Senpai,” Mash said, taking note of my discomfort as the plane finally began leveling off from its ascent. Overhead the seatbelt indicator was still on. “Now we’re just one nonstop flight away to Hawaii,” she added excitedly, her eyes gleaming behind her glasses.

“That’s nice,” I said through somewhat gritted teeth as I forced myself to relax. Mash gave me an apologetic smile in response.

“You really do dislike flying, don’t you?”

“That’s not completely true,” I protested. “I just don’t like take-offs or landings.” Even to my ears, that sounded rather weak. Mash thankfully didn’t comment on that fact, something that Alter or Mordred

I’m sorry that we ended up sticking to sitting in the economy class when I lost at the rock paper scissors game, but I’m really, really excited about getting to talk to you on an airplane!” Mash said in child-like awe. I couldn’t help but smile at my friend. Come to think of it, I think that this is the first time that she has been outside of Chaldea in the present, or at least, to do so with me.

Now the overhead indicators were turned off, and the pilot gave off the standard message about it being safe to get up out of our seats, to beware of both turbulence and overhead luggage having shifted position during take-off, and that the complimentary in-flight service would be starting to go up the aisle. As we were near the front for the economy class, we wouldn’t have to wait long. Mash and I had each gotten a small plastic cup of water, and the former Demi-Servant had also gotten a bag of potato chips.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all….

I should have accounted for Ibaraki, who was several rows behind us and sitting between Robin and Ushi.

“These portions are too small! I require more! MORE!” I groaned at hearing the oni’s demands, resting my forehead in the palm of my right hand while Mash placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as a resigned sigh escaped from her lips.

“Scuse me miss, could we get another one of those coconut ice cream bars?” Robin asked politely to the no doubt alarmed flight attendant who had been pushing the cart. “Awesome, thanks.” I heard the attendant say something to the disguised Archer, probably asking him to keep his ‘daughter’ under control.

It must have been something along the lines of that, for I can hear his long sigh of disappointment as the attendant continued pushing the cart down to the other passengers. “Here, and that’s the last one you get. ‘Member, if you stuff your face too much, it’ll end up freezing and you’ll be stuck looking like a chipmunk,” he said warningly to Ibaraki, who from the sounds of it was already stuffing her face as she began responding. By that point I’ve stopped listening, instead turning to Mash and just shrugging.

“I think Robin’s got a handle on Ibaraki,” I said, and Mash nodded sagely.

“Indeed, Senpai. In that case, it would be counterproductive to intervene,” she added, and I gave her a small, sly smile as Ushi walked up.

“Is there anything you need, Master?” The Rider asked. She was dressed in a simple sun dress instead of her ‘armor’. I stared at her, arching one of my eyebrows at the last word. Ushi’s cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment as she stuttered slightly. “O-oh, that’s right. You aren’t my Master now, are you? Very well then, I shall call you Lord Jacob.” Now both of my eyebrows were raised, and Mash held a hand over her mouth, laughing at my expression as Ushi’s cheek darkened further. “That doesn’t work either, then? Th-then…I-I should just call you Jacob? But isn’t that a little embarrassing?”

“No, not at all,” I said, causing the Rider to relax slightly. “Honestly, that’s the best option. Also, remember to be careful when walking on the airplane,” I remined the famous warrior from the Gempei War. She nodded in understanding, a serious expression on her face that would have made more sense on the battlefield. Eh, close enough. At least it is one less chance of being called ‘Master’ by a girl and getting the stink-eye from the unaware.

“I wonder if Alter is enjoying first class?” Mash mused aloud, a thoughtful expression on her face. I hummed my agreement, equally curious about what the tsundere Avenger was up to. Out of the entire group, she was the only one beside Mash and me to have backed a bag. However, she didn’t need clothing, having gone with her casual clothes she used around Chaldea, so what was in her bag?

“What do you think she had in that bag of hers?” I asked, turning to Mash. She cupped her chin in though, then started to open her mouth when a familiar voice began shouting behind us.

Damn it, Ibaraki….

* * *

“Next time, I’m picking first class,” I growled to Mash as we left the plane. The flight attendant looked to be on the verges of crying joyfully tears at seeing the unruly Berserker departing. Ha. Try dealing with her on a daily basis. Good god, Ritsuka must have the patience of a saint when it came to dealing with her!

“At least we’re finally here!” Mash reminded me with infectious enthusiasm. I couldn’t help but crack a grin at her. “Thanks again for holding my hand when we began landing,” she added in a quieter tone, so that the others wouldn’t hear. I ruffled her hair up a bit, earning an adorable squeak from the smaller girl.

Behind us, Ushi, Robin, and Ibaraki were following us, the latter two engaged in discussion, with Robin looking mighty peeved at the Berserker as she declared how great the airplane food had been.

You devoured half their supplies of dessert _on your own_. I can still feel that flight attendant’s glare. Thanks to you, I never got a chance to ask her about Hawaii, let alone trying to pick her up.” I snicker at the Archer, who probably would have been turned down because of his perceived daughter. Robin sighed and stopped glaring at the unrepentant oni and looking instead at the rest of us with a more casual and laidback expression present once more. “Well, at least we made it here safely. You’re sure though that this is the right airport, Mash?” He asked suddenly, looking around. Mash pulled out a small booklet and began flipping through the pages, her brow furrowed.

“Uh, yes, I’m fairly sure that this is the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu...” she said a bit uncertainty. “That said, it doesn’t really look like the pictures,” she added, causing the others to look at me, the lone American in both the group and from Chaldea.

I raised my hands. “Hey, just because I’m an American doesn’t mean I have been all over the country,” I said, a bit defensively. “Besides, we still have to go through customs. It just might be that Mash’s guidebook only has pictures of the lobby,” I suggested. Ushi cocked her head slightly, a curious expression on her face.

“Customs,” she repeated slowly, testing the word out. “Is that like a checkpoint?” I shrugged in response.

“Eh, close enough. It might take a bit longer than it did at the last airport, since we are entering a country, but there shouldn’t be all too much of a problem, especially since we have passports and all. Just remember, when you’re asked about what your purpose for coming is, just say ‘sightseeing’.” Mash nodded rapidly at that.

“R-right, good points. We should be able to see if anything is awry once we’re outsi-“ Mash’s voice trailed off as she looked over my shoulder, looking dumbfounded. Curious, I turn around and find myself staring at Alter, who had finally joined up with us. Apparently, we had just found out what was in her bag she had brought with her.

The Avenger had swapped her outfit for a revealing black two-piece bikini with a dark-red trimming. Over her left breast was a stylized dragon. The swimwear did a great job showing off her womanly figure, especially her two…ahem…’assets’. She was also wearing a short leather jacker with a similar color scheme.

Instead of flip-flops or sandals, however, she wore heels, and a long pink stocking was on her right leg. Strapped to the small of her back were two katanas, with a third one attached to a belt around her waist.

She must have been up late last night making the outfit.

“Are you freaking kidding, Mash? Don’t tell me the tropical heat’s already getting to you?” Alter said with a mischievous smirk. “Did you not stop and think that the Foreigner could just be messing with us?” The other Servants were staring in surprise at Jeanne Alter, causing me to sigh internally.

“Looking good,” I said, finally snapping Mash out of her apparent shock.

“Uh, yes,” Mash said with flushed cheeks. “That’s a good point.”

Robin grunted, crossing his arms. “Well, that was direct. Guess she’s a bit brighter than I thought.” Alter’s eyes snapped towards the Archer, cold and hard.

“Shut up, Greenie.” She then looked at the rest of us, planting her hands on her hips. “Listen up. We’re in enemy territory now. Drop your guard, even for a second, and we could all end up dead!”

“Oh, for the love of…” I groaned, facepalming as I felt my special vein throbbing once more on my forehead. Alter merely rolled her eyes at me and instead continued addressing the other Servants.

“Whatever BS we feed customs, we’re not actually here for sightseeing. Got it?” The four Servants she was addressing looked at one another for a few minutes, not saying anything. Alter felt different, somehow. Less angry, more energetic… So, this was what Ritsuka had been telling me about Servants discovering how to shift their class briefly? I decide to ask Mash later when it was the right time to do so. Finally, Ushi broke the silence.

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s true,” admitted the Rider.

“Remember, we’re up against a Foreigner: a monster from a whole other world. We gotta be ready to go all out as soon as we find it. And that means we need to get in touch with Chaldea’s Hawaiian office and assess the situation ASAP,” Alter said with a wide grin. Ibaraki scratched her head before turning towards me with a confused expression.

“What is she talking about, Jacob? And why is she dressed like…that?” The oni asked, lazily waving a hand at the Avenger. “Is that her swimsuit? But…why is she carrying THREE katana? Is…is it just because they look cool?” Alter’s cheeks turned a bright red and she shifted her gaze downwards, not meeting the eyes of anyone.

“I guess oni don’t beat around the bush,” Mash whispered. Robin grunted before whispering back.

“Guess that’s a Berserker for you. I don’t think she even _knows_ how to be subtle,” he said as Jeanne crossed her arms and looked back up at us.

“Hmph,” she grunted. “We’re in Hawaii, right? This is just how people dress here,” Alter said with a cocky grin that reminded me rather eerily of the one my girlfriend would give.

“Yeah, I read the guidebook, so I understand what you’re thinking. But did you have to change already?” Ibaraki said pointedly. “We’re suppose to be passing ourselves off as ordinary people, right? Don’t you think brandishing weapons in an airport will draw suspicion?” Not if TSA was being a bunch of lazy asses right now, apparently.

Alter threw her hands up into the air, shaking with anger as she glared ferociously at the Berserker. “Why is she the one lampshading this?!?” She howled angrily. Next to me, I saw Robin wince at the oni’s words.

“Has she no heart?” He asked before suddenly blinking. “Oh, right. Oni,” he said sheepishly. Alter glared once more at everyone before crossing her arms again.

“Never mind all that!” She said, enunciating each word aggressively. “Just hurry up and change already! All of you!”

“She is clearly trying to bull-rush her way past all this. As if that will fool anybody,” Ushi said, finally joining in on the whispering. Mash shook her head, looking a bit awkward. Can’t blame her for that, either.

“N-no, we’ll be changing later. I’m going to try and get in touch with Chaldea’s Hawaiian office first.” I nodded at my friend.

“That’s a good idea. Ushi, can you go exchange some of the money we were given to US dollars? I have some of my own, but not enough to cover anyone,” I admitted. The Rider nodded with an eager smile.

“It will be done. Not to worry, I’ve already learned the proper procedure for doing so!” I smiled at her, pleased at how prepared she was. Giving her a fair amount of money, the Rider nodded slightly before walking off. I shook my head in bemusement.

“So helpful,” I mused aloud. “So, this is what having an assistant is like…” Alter rolled her eyes at me, still crossed as we started to head towards customs. I felt a sense of unease as I noticed that aside from the six of us, we hadn’t seen anyone else in the airport. No staff, no security, no passengers or tourists…something was up, that’s for sure. Mash frowned as she tried to use the device Da Vinci had given us in place of our normal commlinks for this trip. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t seem to get a connection,” Mash admitted with some frustration. “The line is open, but I’m not getting any response…maybe there’s an emergency,” she said with a sigh. She bit her lip, looking anxious to get going to and find out what is happening. I gripped her shoulder slightly before she could go running off.

“Patience, Mash. Let’s go through customs first and then we can get going,” I said firmly. We all stiffened as a feminine laugh filled the empty room we were standing in.

“You don’t still think the normal rules apply here, do you? Don’t worry, you don’t have to go through all that boring rigmarole. After all…anyone is welcome on this island, but no one can ever leave…”

“So, did we walk in on a creepy version of a roach motel commercial?” I said, earning a snicker from both Ibaraki and Alter. Whoever was speaking was not amused, however.

“Do you mind?!? I’m trying to set the scene! Now, where was I…? Ah, right! That is the hellish paradise you have stumbled into, Sen…pai~”

“Oh no,” I groaned, recognizing that voice and cursing Ritsuka for not being here. What was it he might have said? Something about how he recognized that demonic kouhai-ish voice?

“Hellooo. One pitiful Master and five Servants? Right this way pleease~” A girl looking to be around Mash’s age, with long purple hair and a rather sinister smile appeared before us. Ritsuka and I had seen her only once before back in Chaldea, but that day had been deemed a dark one, and few ever talked of the events that were witnessed in those twenty-four hours of hell.

“Hello BB…” I said, and the girl gave me a wink that some might describe as flirtatious, while I found it annoying. I was very much happy with Mordred, thank you very much!

“The one and only, here to show you around!” Before I could ask just what the hell she meant by that, Ushi rushed over, shoving a wad of colored and marked paper in front of my eyes.

“Something is terribly wrong!” The Rider said rather unnecessarily as she pressed one of the pieces of paper into my hand. I was raising it up to take a look as Ushi continued speaking rapidly. “Look at this money! This isn’t US currency!”

It definitely wasn’t. Instead of green, it was a dull yellow, with a caricature portrait picture of a certain Uruk king in the center. “Oh, this can’t possibly end well,” I sighed, feeling the urge to get a stiff drink as Mash looked over my shoulder, reading the words underneath.

“Does it say, ‘In Gil we trust’…?” She startled me by glaring at Mash with an intensity that I had only seen when she had called out Sir Lancelot in the Sixth Singularity. “What’s going on here? Is this some kind of sick joke?” Even Alter was taken aback by the anger radiating off of the normally polite and composed lady. “This isn’t the kind of money used in the states! What’s the meaning of this, BB?”

The psychotic AI laughed at the former Demi-Servant. “I’m so glad you asked, Mash!” She said, indicating the start of yet _another_ monologue by a villain. “We don’t often get to see you so aggressive.”

“Yeah, because she shouldn’t have to be!” I said in defense of my friend, activating my Magic Circuits at the same time. BB rolled her eyes mockingly.

“Oh, but this is only the beginning,” she said ominously, laughing as the ground began to shake. I gripped Mash’s shoulder to keep my balance as Ibaraki cried out in alarm. Was this an earthquake? No, it started just as BB said those last words. She was doing something, alright. Mash prodded my side, acting like the Demi-Servant I had worked besides for the past year once again.

“Senpai, get outside, now!” Mash said, as she and Alter began pushing me gently but firmly. I shook my head and nodded in agreement, jumping over the rope lines that were devoid of customers until we reached the front entrance. Behind us, BB just skated around casually on a pair of roller skates I had just now noticed she was using.

“And now it all comes together! I know what you all were thinking,” BB taunted in a sickly-sweet voice that made me want to punch her teeth in. If Mordred was here, she would have already done so! “’I wanna go sightseeing in Hawaii! I wanna kick back and relax in Honolulu’,” BB said mockingly, rolling her eyes as she moved in front of me, skating backwards. “Well, Jacob, as your luck would have it…there’s nothing I enjoy more than making all your selfish dreams come true!”

I growled angrily. Last time she almost destroyed everything I cared about. Chaldea, Ritsuka, Mordred…but of course, the AI before us didn’t care. “Now, get ready to have your minds blown,” she said as she pulled out a remote and pressed a button, turning on a big TV screen hanging above the glass doors we were approaching. On it were Honolulu and Oahu. “You’re up, Singularity! Do your thing!”

To my horror, I watched as the two islands moved closer and closer to one another, until a bright light drowned out the screen. Next thing I saw, the two islands had fused together. Well, this is bad. Really, really, _really_ bad. We skidded to a halt as the ground stopped shaking, staring in mute horror at the screen.

“Here you go, Senpai,” BB said with a giggle. “I had to use all the resources I’ve been saving to make it, but now you have the resort of your dreams~ Here, you can enjoy anything you want. Thrills, chills, pleasures, debauchery, dreams, nightmares…aaanything. Welcome, everyone. As the ruler of this little island, I’m glad you can join me in the Luluhawa Singularity.”

….so much regret in my body right now. I should’ve stayed in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? For Will to Fight, the chapter might not come out until Sunday or next Monday, maybe a bit more due to both school work and also trying to write my first real fluff scene. Of course, it might be done by Friday, so who knows right? Also, female Q/Discord strikes again!
> 
> For the SummerFest event, which of the Manga craft essence did you enjoy the most?
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	3. Welcome to Luluhawa!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and company began their journey in the Luluhawa Singularity!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of hilarity from SummerFes! Hope you enjoy!

I glared at the unrepentant AI before me as she smiled, bending forward and flashing off some of her cleavage. I wasn’t interested nor would I be distracted by such obscene actions however. She just created a frickin singularity! WHY?!?

“BB…” I growled, my hands instinctively reaching for a weapon that I have long since lost. BB merely giggled at my rage, however.

“Well, now that that’s taken care of, I’ll get out of your hair for now~ Enjoy your trip everyone!” Before any of us could try to tackle her to the ground or do anything of that sort, she vanished.

“Oh, no,” Mash groaned, running a hand down her face. “What did she do to the Hawaiian Islands…come on Jacob, let’s go outside and see for yourselves!”

“Right!”

We stepped outside, the Servants close behind, and looked around the front parking lot of the airport. Well, no rain full of blood, wyverns circling overhead, _Waterworld_ , or any of the other near-apocalyptic sights we had encountered for the past year. Still, it wasn’t enough to put me at ease.

“Well, that’s strange,” Mash muttered next to me, running her gaze around us. “Or rather, nothing is strange. This is just how I always pictured Hawaii! Nothing seems the least bit out of place, Jacob Senpai!” I hummed noncommittally. I may have dealt with BB only once, but that was more than enough to convince me to never let my guard down when she’s involved. Robin grunted in approval.

“So, this is Hawaii, huh? And here I thought all it would be is just a really hot island. There’s nice, warm sunlight…clean air…wide, spacious skies!” Shaking his head, the English Archer whistled in mild awe. If he thought this was lovely, he should wait until we could see the stars tonight. “Man, I had no idea these resort places were so nice, Jacob! This place is perfect for making summer memories!”

Ushi hummed as she stretched her arms, enjoying the sunlight after having been in an airplane for so many ungodly hours. “True,” she said with a satisfied smile. “The ocean air here is brisk and refreshing…it makes me feel like I am home, with gentle, cool breezes. It feels silly to even think about fighting here.”

“As much as I am happy that you are all enjoying the scenery and all, don’t forget what just happened,” I finally said, noticing how Alter was scowling slightly.

“Open your damn eyes and look, you morons!” Alter finally said, pushing past me and looking at Mash and the other Servants. “The islands of Oahu and Hawaii are jammed together! Don’t believe me? Look over there!” She said, pointing a gloved hand at what I quickly recognized to be one of the various volcanoes that had formed the Hawaiian Islands. “Recognize Hawaii’s Mauna Kea from the guidebook?” She continued as the others looked at the dormant volcano.

“The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is on Oahu! We shouldn’t even be able to see Mauna Kea from here! The islands of Oahu and Hawaii are over three hundred kilometers apart!” Wow, glad to see that even Servants refused to use the measurements of feet and inches. The joy of being the only American in the group…

Mash activated her commlink, updated to accommodate for the fact that she was no longer a Demi-Servant, and pulled up a display, taking a few minutes to examine it before looking up in alarm. “She’s right, I’m also detecting the singularity now as well. Confirmed, it is the whole of the Hawaiian Islands.”

“Well, now you have your answer for why you couldn’t get in touch with the Hawaiian office, huh?” I sighed, rubbing my fingers against the bridge of my nose.

“But to make a singularity…don’t you think this is a bit too much, even for BB?” Mash asked. Robin shook his head.

“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “This is about the sort of thing she’d do. She pretty much only acts on malice and a really twisted idea of good intentions,” the Archer explained to Mash.

“Emphasis on twisted,” I grumbled as the lone male Servant gave me an irritated stare for interrupting him.

“Anyways, think…like taking a Halloween party, and turning it into an actual hellscape.”

“So, she causes trouble by going too far…meaning she tries to be kind, but misses the mark so badly it leads to disaster?” She asked in confusion. I couldn’t suppress my bark of dry laughter at the mention of her being ‘kind’.

“Ha! Ritsuka might agree, but on this, the two of us agreed to disagree,” I said before turning to Alter. “Good eyes by the way. Were you really looking forward to this?” I asked in curiosity. Alter crossed her arms beneath her breasts and gave me a smirk eerily similar to Mordred’s yet again.

“Not really. Just did my homework like any sensible tourist would,” she said, with absolutely zero modesty. Her smirk died as a more familiar, cross expression came over her. “Tch. Guess we don’t have time to stand around gawking. We’ve got company,” Jeanne Alter growled, gripping the hilt of her waist-mounted katana.

I whirled around, looking ahead of our group once more, my eyes searching for whatever threat it could be. Wyvern? Medieval soldiers? Golems? Sumerian demonic monsters? Skeletons?!?

Apparently not.

“Hang on...” Mash said in a stupefied tone, sounding every bit as much as I felt at what was approaching us while radiating a menacing aura. “Isn’t that…a chicken?”

Wow….this is definitely new. I didn’t know whether to be amused or appalled by the cluster of chickens in front of us. In their defense, they _were_ bigger than your average chicken.

“Yes. Yes it is,” Alter said, smirking again. “That’s one of Hawaii” specialties. The ‘sort of chicken you find anywhere’ chicken.” At that, I shot her a flat stare.

“Then how is it a specialty?” I asked rhetorically, causing the Avenger-turned-Berserker to blush slightly, though she refused to reply to my response, instead drawing her katana and pushing past Mash and I. Robin and Ushi were close behind, their own weapons also at the ready.

“Now get ready!” Alter said, taking up a defensive stance that would still allow for aggressive attacks.

“Wow, this is becoming a fowl business,” I said jokingly. Alter stiffened and looked over her shoulder, glaring at me.

“…if it wasn’t for the fact that was a half-decent pun, I would be kicking your ass next,” she growled. I shrugged, knowing that she was just voicing her displeasure at my occasional use of puns, and not really trying to hurt me. The last time she had actually gotten close to doing that, Mordred had punched her into a wall….and then Alter returning the favor…and that led to Doctor Roman banning the two from ever going near the engineering department.

Chuckling at her expression, I shook my head as I stepped back and watched as the Servants made quick work of the chickens. Even now I would still struggle at times to follow the movements of battle, but I was surprised to see Alter displaying considerable skill at using a katana. Granted, as an Avenger she had a sword, but it was a traditional European straight-blade.

In a minute or two, all that was left of the chickens was some blood splatters and bodies that were dissolving rapidly, and also a mess of feathers that weren’t dissolving rapidly.

“Those were…exceptionally large chicken,” Mash commented once it was clear that no more of the fowl foes would be showing up. “I guess Hawaii is a good place to raise livestock. Then again, it could be because of the singularity?” Mash mused.

“My money’s on the latter. I once heard the one of the largest chicken breeds around averages around ten pounds. Those were more than ten pounds,” I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ibaraki having a far-off stare, a thoughtful expression on her face, though she said nothing. I was about to risk my hide to ask the oni what was on her mind when I heard the sound of cloth rustling.

“Wait! There’s another enemy here! We must have missed one!” Ushi called out in front of me. Sure enough, there was a tall, bipedal form wearing a long brown cloak. “You’re not going anywhere! I’ll cut your head off where you stand!” Ushi said, lunging forward, her blade ready to swing. The newcomer recoiled.

“Huh?” A rather familiar-sounding voice was heard. “What’s wrong, Master and company?” My eyes widened. That’s not an enemy!

“Ushi, stooooop!” The Rider nodded, but didn’t stop, instead moving faster.

“Yes, Master! I will stop this cretin in his tracks by separating his head from his shoulders!” That’s not what I meant!

“Bwa?!?” The ‘enemy’ sputtered, stepping backwards “Uh-oh! A pretty girl with killer eyes is out to get me! Pirate’s Glory!” No sooner had the figure shouted out those words then Ushi’s katana cleaved through his neck. I winced, but thankfully the figure was unaffected. “Phew, that was close.”

Ibaraki scratched her concern in puzzlement. “I could have sworn his head just dropped like overripe fruit from a tree,” she said, before spluttering out in surprise as the figure shook off the cloak. He was a rather tall man, with thick black hair and a beard. I sighed at the Rider, my suspicions confirmed.

“What’s the deal, Master? Can’t we forego the violence now that we’re in Hawaii?” Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, asked in a forlorn manner, looking hurt by Ushi’s actions.

“Mistah Blackbeard?” Mash said in surprise, using the now-infamous title we had heard in the Third Singularity. Alter crossed her arms.

“Edward Teach. What’re you doing here?” She demanded, sheathing her katana. “Oh, and if you so much as _LOOK_ at me in my swimsuit, I’ll cut your damn eyes out, you freakin’ perv!” The temporary Berserker growled. I sighed internally at her. Considering that your outfit was pretty much flaunting your womanly figure, Alter, you can’t exactly be saying things like that, now, can you?

Instead of being cowed, Blackbeard shot Alter two fingers with he thumbs up, a silly smile on his face. “Oho! A super aggressive girl who is all tsun and no dere! What a rich bounty for an old otaku!” I coughed into my fist, successfully masking the laughter at the verbal antics of the manga/anime loving pirate captain.

“I thought I understood modern slang, but not a word of that made any sense to me,” Ibaraki grumbled, scowling at Blackbeard. Kinda ironic considering those ‘terms’ were words from her country of origin. Robin facepalmed next to her, shaking his head as he released a long sigh of weariness before answering.

“Don’t sweat it. You’re better off that way, honestly,” the Archer said before looking at the Rider before us. “Still, though. What are you doing here, Blackbeard?”

“Wait, you mean you didn’t know?” Blackbeard said in surprise before a wide and earnest smile erupted on the pirate’s face. As much as he acted like a pervert, he _did_ have a lot of energy. “I’m here for ServantFes!”

“Sorry…for what-now ?” I asked, both confused and curious. Blackbeard nodded.

“Oh yeah! It’s a regular get-together for Chaldean and non-Chaldean Servants. We schmooze, join clubs, make doujins, dance, sing, and generally enjoy ourselves. We call it…” Blackbeard paused, taking in a deep breath, his eyes wide with barely-contained enthusiasm. “ _THE SERVANT! SUMMER STAR! FESTIVAL!_ ” He said in a booming voice. “Or ServantFes for short,” he said right afterwards, killing the theatrics stone-dead while I rubbed a finger in my eardrum in an attempt to rid myself of the ringing sensation he had caused.

While Mash and I both looked at one another in confusion, the others had a look of understanding now, and they relaxed. “Ohhh, so this is where ServantFes is happening this year! I was so focused on looking for Shuten that I forgot to check!”

“Putting that aside for the moment,” Mash said in her usual polite manner. “Blackbeard, can you tell us more about ServantFes?” She blushed briefly, shaking her head. “Uh, I mean, the Foreigner! What can you tell us about the Foreigner? That’s the reason we came to Hawaii in the first place!” Mash shouted in explanation, causing the pirate captain to tilt his head slightly to the side in a mixture of bemusement (undoubtedly at Mash’s words) and confusion (again, from Mash’s word choice most likely).

“Foreigner? Hmmm, I don’t think there was a club called ‘Foreigner’…” Blackbeard said thoughtfully, rubbing his bearded chin with one hand. Popular enough to have a wall booth? No? A newbie then?” He asked himself with a small frown before shaking his head. “Hmm, sorry, never heard of stuff related to Foreigners.” Then he scowled, spaced out his legs, and planted his hands firmly on his hips, staring intensely at our group. But why are we even talking about work now, anyway?!?” He roared in displeasure. “That’s enough of that! ServantFes officially kicks off in six days, and I can’t wait!”

“Some defender of humanity,” I drawled, earning a huff of laughter from Alter. Blackbeard shot me a wounded look at my comment.

“Hey, come on now!” He protested. “ServantFes is the stuff of dreams for Servants everywhere! One Servant releases photo books to show off her beauty…” Blackbeard said wistfully. At least, it better be wistfully, otherwise I might be encouraged to let Alter have at him!

No, I totally wasn’t still holding a slight grudge at him for calling Mordred part of his harem.

“One Servant likes to sell DVDs of her horribad gatherings,” Blackbeard said, his face contorting slightly, as if he had sucked a lemon. “Sorry, ‘concerts’.” Aaaaah, sounds like Elisabeth. “One Servant likes to listen to others’ tales of adventure to inspire his own novels, and one Servant is holed up in her hotel room, crying about how she’ll never finish her script in time.” If there had been a soundtrack playing for his little spiel, I would have imagined we would have heard the sound of the needle scratching at that last part.

“Wow, that got dark pretty fast, don’t ya think?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That last one doesn’t sound like the stuff of dreams?” Robin added.

“I’m afraid Batty made an unfortunate decision to start playing the new World of Wyverns expansion right before her deadline,” Blackbeard said, once again making absolutely no sense. “Anyways, the Servants who didn’t join any of the clubs that sell stuff like what I just mentioned are parlaying it into a normie vacation,” Blackbeard added, gesturing at the numerus Servants walking around. I saw Chulainn, Nero, Helena, and Jack, to name a few.

No Jeanne or Mordred, though. I guess they didn’t come here?

“Now that you mentioned it,” Mash said meanwhile, also looking around. :I do see a lot of other Servants arou-“

“GODDAMN HOT!” A voice roared suddenly from behind Mash, causing the poor girl to jump into the air in fright as a small, regally-dressed Servant stomped up, her normally-pale complexion red and sweaty. I gaped at Anastasia Romanov in a mixture of shock and mild horror at hearing the rather refined Servant swear so loudly.

“Master, Master. Can you please do something about this heat?!?” Anastasia implored, giving me puppy-dog eyes. I laughed a bit awkwardly, knowing that I couldn’t do so.

“Couldn’t you just use your Spirit Form until you got somewhere indoors?” I suggested. Anastasia merely stomped the ground with her right heel in response.

“That solves nothing!” She growled in response. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “I knew I should have known better than to trust Medb…goddamn it,” she moaned, apparently having forgotten Chaldea’s Rule Number Thirty-Seven: Never Trust Medb. The Russian Servant slunk off towards the city, grumbling under her breath.

Having recovered from the scare, Mash laughed awkwardly. “Well, uh, between this Luluhawa Singularity and ServantFes, this is certainly a lot to take in,” Mash said, looking at me. I shot her a lopsided smirk.

“Eh, not like that isn’t what normally happens to us these days,” I said with a shrug. Mash nodded in complete understanding, before she continued speaking, an excited gleam in her violet eyes.

“Indeed. Overall, I think this is good news, though, Jacob Senpai. Whatever the circumstances, the fact remains that all of Ritsuka’s and your Servants are here on this island. If they all join forces, we shouldn’t have any trouble taking on the Foreign-“

At that moment Blackbeard released a polite cough, interrupting the former Demi-Servant. “While that does sound nice, I, uh, I don’t think that’s gonna work,” the Rider said apologetically, looking at anywhere other than us.

“Why not?” Robin asked the obvious question. “We’re talking about an unknown Servant here. If we don’t all take it on togeth-“

“I hate to be _‘that’_ guy, but all the Servants here have agreed that there won’t be any _real_ combat until ServantFes is over.”

“Who came up with that?” I grumbled, though with no actual anger in me. By this point, if everything seemed to be too good to be true when it came to singularities, that was because it was!

“BB. She’s the one putting on this year’s ServantFes.”

“HUH?!?” Everyone else practically roared in shock and horror. I merely groaned as the she-devil herself skated over from out of nowhere.

“Hold up! Did I hear someone talking about me?” She said with a fake-sweet giggle. “Speak this cute little devil’s name and she doth appear!” She said with a wink, unknowingly using similar terms to what I had just described about her.

“Can you knock it off with the ‘sweet girl’ act?” Robin growled, causing BB to cluck her tongue in disappointment at him.

“Yikes, seriously Robin? You came all the way to the tropics, and you’re still being such a downer? Are you going through menopause or something?” BB said cheekily. Alright, that was kinda funny, I have to admit. Alter snickered at Robin’s offended expression. “I hate to say it, but everything about you screams ‘minor character’, so I don’t think making yourself seem like an old fogy will win you any fans.” A scowling Robin was opening his mouth to reply when Alter pressed her right palm against his mouth, silencing him.

Her yellow eyes were focused on BB as she addressed the she-devil. “You. You said your name was BB? You’re the one running ServantFes?”

BB nodded and began a long explanation of how she had ended up in charge of running this year’s ServantFes. How she had created this singularity to ensure that the Mystics involved with so many Servants would remain hidden, and how supposedly it would all return to normal once ServantFes was over.

Riiiiiigght…

BB also mentioned that there was a competition to see who sold the most material at ServantFes by the various clubs, and would win a Holy Grail. Though, the fact that a Holy Grail was at stake was concerning. I turned to Mash. “How are you at making books, Mash?” I asked, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

“I’ve never made a book before. Chaldea never dud have any arts and crafts programs,” Mash admitted. “I mean, I would certainly put my landscape and portrait paintings up against anyone else’s, but…” She trailed off as I cocked my head slightly to the side in surprise. Huh. Mash made paintings.

Who knew?

“Just a moment, Master Jacob. I am curious about this ServantFes as well, but our mission lies elsewhere.” Right, the Foreigner.

“I guess we’ll have to stick to our mission and play the role as sightseers,” I said cautiously to both he others and the waiting BB. The latter shot me a disappointed look that elicited no discomfort from me. I was onto her wiles, damnit.

“I see…well, that’s too bad,” the AI said with a half-hearted shrug. Once ServantFes is over, we’ll be announcing each club’s total sales, awarding the Holy Grail in an awards ceremony to celebrate the most creative Servants,” BB explained. Jeanne Alter, merely scoffed, looking at the AI with contempt.

“Hmph, who gives a rat’s ass about sales numbers? But hey, if you guys wanna get all worked up over nothing, go right ahead. Can’t imagine the sorta Servants who’d go around joining clubs like that are worthwhile, anyway,” she added with a leer before turning to me with a smirk. “So, it’s nothing we need to worry about. Right, Master?” She asked. I didn’t respond however, having noticed the unfriendly smirk that had appeared on BB’s lips after Alter had finished asking her question.

“By any chance, do you know if there’s a club expected to win?” Mash asked BB politely, and the AI nodded excitedly.

“Yup! That’d be the club that won the last ServantFes by a landslide! Saint Orléans, led by Jeanne and friends!” Well, that explains the vicious look of satisfaction BB had when Alter had asked her question, apparently well-aware of the (one-sided) rivalry between Jeanne d’Arc and Jeanne d’Arc Alter. I winced and turned to the tsundere next to me, wondering what I would see from her at the mention of her ‘other self’.

I gulped at what I saw. This wasn’t going to go well…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I just wanted to try it. Don't worry, we'll get to see Alter's reactions to this in all of its glory next chapter! :)  
> What did you guys think? Hope you enjoyed Jacob's side commentary about some of the stuff. Not much else to say, other than the daily question!
> 
> Whose your favorite pirate Servant?
> 
> Looking forward to hearing y'alls reviews and feedbacks, and see you in the next chapter!


	4. A Club is Born

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alter declares her intent after finding out Jeanne's popularity at ServantFes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day another chapter. From this day forward, I shall refer to this week as the Week Where I Published Many Chapters! Not much else to say, other than notes at the bottom and I hope you enjoy!

“Saint Orléans, led by Jeanne and friends!”

There were several things one should know about Jeanne Alter if one didn’t want to upset the prickly Avenger. The first was that she hated people trying to convince her to accept God. The second was that saying that dragons were boring. Third, and possibly the most important, was mentioning anything involving Jeanne would set her off. Considering that she was now a member of the Berserker Class, her somewhat hairline of a trigger got increasingly small.

“Wait, what?!? The hell you just said?!?” Alter roared, causing me to flinch slightly as my ears began ringing from her sheer volume. She was clenching her fists tightly, shaking rather aggressively. “ _HER_?!? Making doujins?!? In a ServantFes club?!?” She demanded, her body shaking as rage poured out of her. I could hear her teeth gritting against one another. On instinct, I took a step back.

“Oh, you mean you didn’t know?” Blackbeard, however, bless (or curse, depending on what gender the Servant you were asking was) his soul, continued talking, unaware of the danger of Mount Saint Alter, preparing to erupt. “Jeanne’s huge at ServantFes. Last year, I believe her club sold out of _every_ doujin they made before the doors even opened! In fact, I already asked BB here to ensure they put aside a copy of their work this year just for me,” the Rider said gleefully. “I don’t know if it’s all calculated or just a happy coincidence, but the way their cute art meshes with the intense storyline is just…” Instead of saying what he thought, however, Blackbeard instead displayed a chef’s kiss.

“I take it you’re a big fan then, huh?” I asked cautiously, eyeing the Berserker next to me.

“Oh yeah! Like, that bit when the heroine had a cannon full of phones and fired I, just to confess her love for the hero?” Wait….what? “The way it ignores all the usual rom-com tropes made me think it might be a little too turn-of-the-century Orléans, but...” Blackbeard didn’t finish his sentence however, as I felt an iron, vice-like grip on my shoulder.

“…do it,” Alter hissed next to me. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared intently at Alter.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Blackbeard asked politely.

“I said I’ll do it!” The Dragon Witch said with a growl, a look of fiery determination shining in her yellow eyes. “If she came in first, then she must be the one who drew that book!” What book? Had the books she mentioned back at Chaldea which she had been gathering been doujin? Unfortunately for me, Alter didn’t seem too interested with explaining what book she was talking about. “If that’s the way it is, then fine! Me and Jacob’ll make our own club!”

“It’s Jacob and I,” I sighed. Then I blinked and stared at her. “Come again?” I asked, voicing the question that was on the faces of Mash, Robin, Ushi, and Ibaraki.

“Hey!” Jeanne said, glaring at me, though not menacingly. “We’re a team, right?”

“Ah, glad to see another Servant finally understanding those words,” I said ruefully, giving the Dragon Witch a lopsided grin. Having to deal with Mordred for over a year has taught me that when it came with Servants, sometimes it was the better part of valor to just go with the flow. Alter rolled her eyes at me in response.

“We’ll call ourselves ‘Gespenst Ketzer’!” She said excitedly. I stared at her, raising an eyebrow. My foreign language specialty might be French, but I have dabbled a bit in German thanks to my grandfather.

“You want to have us be called ‘Ghost Heretics’?” I asked. Alter’s cheeks flushed slightly and she scratched the back of her head, refusing to return my stare.

“…I thought it was along the lines of ‘Heretical Monster’…” She said in a surprisingly shy tone. Well, at least she was getting into the spirit of things. BB clapped her hands excitedly, ending the moment.

“There we go! Just the fish I’d hoped to land!” She said shamelessly, proving to me that she had said what she had with the sole purpose of goading Alter. “Step right up, you two,” she said cheerfully. With great reluctance, I did so, following slightly behind Alter. BB gave us a slip of paper that had to be filled out, but Alter took care of it before I could even get a chance to read it. Hopefully she didn’t just sign away our lives…

“There you go, your club’s all registered! See you at section G-01 in six days! Feel free to bring any kind of merch. Comics, novels, swimsuit magazines, tchotchkes, figurines…” the devilish AI listed casually.

“In that case, I will join you as well, Master Jacob. Say the word, and it shall be done,” Ushi said dutifully. “I believe it is high time I demonstrated there is more I can do than decapitate!”

“You know, the fact you had to say that aloud is kinda concerning,” I drawled, earning a soft chuckle from Mash and a bashful expression from the Rider. Ibaraki then spoke up.

“Well, I’m not going to join! Nope!” The oni said with a note of finality. Honestly, I was okay with that. Odds are, she is going to declare that she wants to look for Shuten. “I’m just here for the food! And for Shuten!”

“So that’s a ‘no’ from Ibaraki,” BB commented unnecessarily as the Berserker oni left.

“Off she goes,” Mash said. Robin shook his head in bemusement. 

“I know oni are free-spirited, but yikes,” the Archer added. “Still, I can’t say she’s got the wrong idea. Think I’m gonna pass, too. Not spending my time at a tropical resort working hunched over a desk. Besides, I don’t care about this club stuff or can draw.”

BB tutted in disapproval, shaking her head. “Are you sure about that? I mean, if Senpai’s club doesn’t do well, you’re going to turn into a pig, you know?” Ok, two things I really wanted to say to the AI. First, don’t call me your ‘senpai’. Two, what the hell?

Robin stared at the AI long and hard, mouth opening and closing as words repeatedly failed. Finally, the green Archer released a long sigh. “Why?”

“Because I said so, of course!” Yep, normal BB tactics.

“Smug as always, aren’t ya?” I growled, unhappy that one of my Servants was being threatened, crossing my arms before my chest. As usual, BB displayed no remorse, and merely ignored me.

“Okay, Robin, I’ll go ahead and cast the spell on you know to make sure you feel it. Sakura Beeeam! Wait, scratch that. Luluhawa Beeeam!” A ball of purple electric energy shot out of her hand and into Robin before any of us could react. It enveloped the Archer and he vanished from our sights for a brief second.

“Gah!” Robin growled, as we could begin to see hum once again. Apparently, BB gave him a wardrobe change. His green cloak and clothes were gone, and instead he wore a Hawaiian hoodie of sorts that displayed his muscular figure. “You actually did it! What is this, a swimsuit?!? It is, isn’t it?!?” He paused from glaring at the still-unrepentant AI to instead look over his new outfit. “Damnit…you’ve got pretty good taste. Even worse, I certainly can’t forget how I’ll end up as a pig if Jacob’s book doesn’t do well,” he sighed grudgingly. Mash walked over to the Archer and gave him a sympathetic shoulder pat.

“What a dreadful spell,” she said softly, and I nodded in agreement.

“Don’t worry! As long as your club actually makes a book, this spell won’t activate! I have a lot of faith in your worth ethic and abilities, Robin. You’re the perfect man for looking after slovenly writers and inspiring unmotivated ones! I’d go so far as to say that, among Heroic Spirits, you are a comic editor born!” BB said in what could eb the closest thing to seriousness for her. “So on that note, Robin, get to work! Don’t you dare let Senpai down!” She then turned to me, smiling that devilish smile of hers. “Okay, Senpai, I can’t wait to see what your club comes up with~ Oh, and while I’m sure this goes without saying, but ServantFes has some innocent children among its attendees, so make sure it’s family-friendly!” Well, what do you know? BB was actually saying something _useful_ for a change!

“Still not your ‘senpai’,” I grunted under my breath in irritation. I wasn’t the only one now. In fact, it seemed that only Blackbeard was at ease currently.

“I don’t do inappropriate, dumbass!” Alter snarled at BB’s retreating form. Robin sighed, cupping his head as he shook it slowly.

“Damnit, I knew I should have started running the instant we got off the tarmac,” he moaned.

“Damn,” Blackbeard said, whistling softly. “You’re gonna write and draw a whole book in less than a week? That’s a hell of a thing,” the Rider warned Alter. He paused and scratched his chin, thinking for a moment before shrugging. “Well, since almost all of you are Servants, I guess you could get one done a good bit faster than normal if you go without sleep. By the way, Alter, have you had any experience making doujin?” We all turned to stare at the temporary Berserker. Yes, that is a rather important question, now, isn’t it?

“No,” she simply said with a shrug. “Does it matter?”

“Considering the circumstances, probably!” I groaned, facepalming. Of course she would throw herself into a competition to beat Jeanne without any consideration for such matters like experience. Blackbeard stared in a mixture of disbelief and disapproval at the scantily-clad Servant.

“None?” He repeated. “What the hell, Dragon Witch? You think this shit is easy?”

“Y-you don’t have any experience at all? Don’t you think that’s kind of—” Mash started to say before a flustered-looking Alter cuts her off.

“No, I don’t think it’s easy! I know it’s a ton of work!” She shouted, silencing everyone before she continued in a more even tone. “Yeah, I’m a beginner. I’m as green as they come. But _SO WHAT_?!? I’m still gonna kick her ass!” She said defiantly, before muttering under her breath so softly I could barely hear her. “I have too.” Then she spoke louder. “And if that means drawing a doujin or two, then you bet your ass I’m gonna draw the best damn doujin ever!” Well, there is much to say about determination in making up for a skill gap, but even then it’s not enough for us to win with that alone.

“Good grief,” Blackbeard finally said, running a hand down his face a bit dramatically before looking at me sympathetically. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Master?” My pride as a Master of Chaldea urged me to say that I am, and that I would figure something out.

The part of me that preferred honesty won out, thankfully.

I shook my head. “Not even a little. Please help us out?” I asked in all honesty. Blackbeard nodded approvingly at me.

“Yeah, that sounds about right! I like your honesty!” He said with a wide grin, before adopting a more serious expression. “All right, I guess I’ve got no other choice. I’ll be your doujin master, pirate Servant style!” Blackbeard said excitedly, grinning, as he adopted a fighting stance, his fists raised. Ah, of course it wouldn’t be _that_ easy.

Alter chucked darkly, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. “Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” She said, gripping the hilt of her waist-mounted katana. “You wanna get skewered like meat over a bonfire?” She asked the eccentric pirate.

“Hell yeah!” Blackbeard shot back. “I’m a pirate first and foremost, after all! If you want my insider tips, you’ll have to beat them out of me first! O Captain, my captain!” Huh, so he was a fan of the _Dead Poet’s Society_ , then, huh? That’s certainly an unexpected revelation. “I think, therefore I’m kick-ass! Come on, let’s do this thing!” He roared, lunging forward.

“Oh yeah, a real philosopher there. Alter, just don’t kill him, please,” I said wearily, closing my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry,” I heard Alter retort.

The battle between Jeanne Alter and Captain Edward Teach was brief, rapid, and hard to follow for me. The reason why was because despite having gripped the hilt of her katana as if she was intending to draw it for the fight, she had instead opted to fight with her fights and feet. What was noticeable, however, was the way that it ended.

The short of it: it was brutal. The long of it though…

“Turn to dust!” Alter roared, kneeing the Rider in the balls, _hard_. The high-pitch shriek that escaped his lips was filled with pain, and I flinched instinctively, crossing my own legs even though I had nothing to fear. She leapt back as Blackbeard held his bruised package before making a finger gun, a ball of black and purple fire forming before the fingertip. Smirking, she launched it forward, and Blackbeard was unable to doge as the attack made contact. I closed my eyes at that moment, then opened them when I felt the heat generated by Alter’s fire fade away.

“Guh!” Blackbeard moaned, defeated and now on his knees, his hands protecting his bruised family jewels. Meanwhile, the edges of his beard and ponytail were still smoldering

“All right, we won!” Alter crowed triumphantly, sheathing her sword.

“Was that last attack really necessary?” The Rider wheezed as he forced himself up onto his feet.

“I’m pretty sure half of Chaldea will be thanking me for that,” Alter leered teasingly, hands on her hips.

“Hmph,” Blackbeard growled, before looking back at me with a smile. “Anyway, since you won, I’ll keep my word and help you out! Start by heading for that hotel over there,” the pirate said, pointing towards a rather regal-looking building. “It’s one of Waikiki’s finest. If you hurry, you’ll be able to get the special ServantFes deal of a hundred thousand BB Bucks a night!”

“I have no idea if that’s a good deal,” I said cautiously. Blackbeard just shrugged.

“Anyway, that’s your only option. All the other hotels are completely booked because of ServantFes.”

Ushi hummed in thought before speaking up. “So those are the only lodgings available to us, hmm. Although…Teach, that hotel over there…Am I mistaken or is that the Shelton, the single largest resort hotel in Waikiki?”

“Ayup. I had reserved a room there for me and my old pirate crew to have a bit of drunken revelry, but then that smarmy Bartholomew was all, “Sorry Teach, but I already reserved the five-star place next door. If I see you at the con, you and I don’t know each other, ‘kay?’” Blackbeard said before growling in aggravation. “Guh, it still makes me mad! Anyway, that’s why I’m not staying at that hotel myself now. Too fancy for me.” Nice catch there, Ushi. Sounds like he was offering to give us his reservation. Ushi grinned at me before giving the pirate captain a beatific smile

“Wonderful! Thank you, Lord Teach! I had the wrong idea about you!” Her words and smile had Blackbeard blushing and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, looking away. The Japanese Rider then turned to me. “Come, Master Jacob, let us hurry there before Lord Teach changes his mind! We can rest assured that the hotel is a first-class institution!”

Needing no further incentives, we all grinned and thanked the pirate captain for his generosity before we hustled over to the town, excited to see what kind of reservation Blackbeard had made.

* * *

About forty-five minutes later, and we were standing before the doors of the Shelton Hotel. “Nice place,” I said off-handedly. Mash nodded excitedly, as did the other Servants. Ah, that’s right. This is the first time for Mash and probably also a first time for the others to get to stay at a hotel. “Well, we’re not going to accomplish anything just standing around. Let’s go get our room key,” I said, walking into the lobby.

“Welcome to—” A voice accented with an upper-class London accent began to say before pausing. “Oh, it’s you guys,” a well-dressed blonde with green eyes and wearing glasses said behind the reception desk. I know him!

“What are you doing here?!?” I asked, before noticing the lack of normal humans. The man chuckled before giving a slight bow.

“Say hello to Henry Jekyll, hotel manger for the duration of ServantFes,” the Assassin said with a smile. “Somebody has to take care of the various administrative duties for an event like this if it is to go smoothly,” he added, showing once more his role as one of the parental-like Servants of Chaldea.

“That so?” Alter asked in a bored tone, pushing her way past the others until she was standing next to me, leaning against the front of Jekyll’s desk. “Sounds like a lotta work. Anyway, we wanna check in,” she said brusquely. Jekyll nodded, showing his easy-going manner when it came to rather pushy Servants.

“Yes of course. Mr. Blackbeard has informed us of the change. He had reserved a suite, is that acceptable?” He asked politely. I nodded, while Alter grinned eagerly.

“Hell yeah.”

“You do understand it’s a penthouse?” Jekyll asked her, sounding cautious for some reason, though why I had no clue.

“Kick-ass. Gotta love living in the lap of luxury.” The Assassin nodded at that, accepting her choice before looking at me.

“Very good. Is that all right with you as well, Master?” I nodded, before another thought popped into my head.

“Hey, Jekyll, if you’re here, does that mean that—” Before I could finish, however, a familiar and most-welcomed voiced came from behind our group.

“Jacob? Whatcha doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! What did you'll think? As I am pretty sure I mentioend before, fighting during the early part of this story won't really have much of an interest, so to speak. Right now it is merely plot and all, but the amounts of action will slowly increase :) Also, whose the mysertious owner of that voice? :P
> 
> Now, I don't plan on posting a new chapter for any of my stories until Monday. The reason why is I want to take a break to focus on how I want the final section of the First Singularity to go in The Will to Fight
> 
> Now, for the question of the day: If you could date any Servant in the Fate universe, who would be your top three choices?
> 
> As always, eagerly awaiting feedback, comments, and questions! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! See you next time


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